The governor and the mayor announced funding for the jobs on Wednesday for the initiative called YouthWorks.

It places young people between the ages of 14 and 21 in six-week summer jobs with private sector, nonprofit and city and state government employers throughout the city.

The state budget includes $1.4 million to create more than 1,100 jobs. Baltimore is investing $1.5 million for 1,200 jobs. The Maryland State Department of Human Resources and the Baltimore City Department of Social Services provide an annual $1 million grant to the program to create more than 900 jobs.

"There is no progress without jobs. By making better choices to support initiatives like YouthWorks, our state continues to expand opportunity and give teens a work experience that will serve them not just this summer, but on the way to the next step of their careers," O'Malley said. "Together with our local partners, we continue to provide our youth with job opportunities that will strengthen their skills and prepare our workforce for the 21st century economy."

"Baltimore is grateful for the strong investment by Governor O'Malley, and the state of Maryland, to help fund our 2013 summer jobs program," Rawlings-Blake said. "Through our Hire One Youth initiative, YouthWorks is a worthy example of a public-private partnership that results in positive work experiences that benefit our young people, businesses, and our communities."

The city's private sector also pays wages for close to 2,000 young people.

A bizarre situation is unfolding in Baltimore in which people are paying rent to a landlord who claims he's helping fill the need for affordable housing, but there are serious questions about the living conditions inside, as well as who actually owns the homes.